John Deere 440 Dozer/Crawler For Sale

[CraigV]

All good Craig, I just got out of the wrong side of the bed. Hope it sells. Kevin.

Thanks Kevin!

I was shocked to see that from you. You're usually so positive and offer great ideas. No worries, I sometimes feel I woke up on the wrong side of the week!

 

[CraigV]

Very interesting. I had no idea that there had ever been a dozer powered by a gas twin. Especially one that said "diesel" on it.............FWB

FWB,

So, JD made 3 types of engines in the early models. Gas, Diesel, and dual fuel. I don't know this one's history, it was either a gas model that has had the tin wear replaced, or it was a diesel model, and has had the engine replaced.

 

[roklok]

I would buy that in a heartbeat if I had a good way to get it home (Alaska). Good luck in your sale !

 

[Odie]

CW,

Honestly I can't say. That's what I got it for, but ended up with a slightly bigger version. It's what it's made for - pushing, so should do fine. Especially if you're talking a drive or short road.

I've got a D6, and a D4 for big and small jobs. This is roughly 1959-1961. I can't remember the exact year based on serial No.

I use a lot of heavy equipment, and sometimes bigger isn't better, but then sometimes you need a D10!

What you doing with the little fellers. Lol D10 getting close. I prefer the big boys. D11T or D11 CD.
Sorry just couldn't resist. Have over 5000 hrs on the 11s

 

[C.W. Richter]

T'would be just perfect for WH press conferences (to protect some of the press!) A friend of my father's (both RIP) used one of them to create many farm ponds in our area. He made so many, he was recognized for creating a means for waterfowl migrations to increase (to the way it used to be!) I just called his son to muck out a number of old ponds on our property (to keep all the wildlife happy!)

 

[CraigV]

What you doing with the little fellers. Lol D10 getting close. I prefer the big boys. D11T or D11 CD.
Sorry just couldn't resist. Have over 5000 hrs on the 11s

I have several thousand hours on 7's and down. Always wanted to use an 11. My work would be done in minutes!

Mostly roads, stumps and pads. Got a Link Belt 4300, and that pops the stumps right out, then push them with the 6 or 7.

This little guy was going to be my garden and snow cat. I ended up with a little D4, and because it's diesel decided to keep that and sell this. Everything else we own runs on red diesel, so I only have to have one fuel on the farm. Very convenient.

 

[CraigV]

Excellent...look forward to it

Hey Spike,

I think if I include the owners manual I can ship it all Media Rate. It's slower, but a lot cheaper than Par Avion. Still checking on a box.

 

[CraigV]

Bump

 

[ActionBob]

I know enough to be dangerous regarding that little dozer. We own one in the diesel version I'd be dearly tempted to buy it but no time this year to come get it. And come get it I would. Be a cool trip especially to work in a little hunting....

John Deere built that series of tractors with a vertical twin cylinder engine in Dubuque Iowa vs. the Waterloo Iowa plant where the more familiar horizontal two cylinder tractors were built. The DNA of that goes back at least to the model M which was available as a crawler and wheeled tractor. That evolved into the model 40, then 420 and 430 which the 30 series was the last and most advanced of the two cylinder gas versions. At that time, 1959 and 1960... John Deere was developing the "New Generation" of tractors of which surely the 4020 has to be the most famous and widely recognized. But they started with a 10 series, 110 lawn tractor, 1010 to replace the 430 and smaller 330, 2010, 2510, 3010, 4010, 5010 known as a Muscle Tractor but still 2 wheel drive and the rare 8010 articulated 4 wheel drive.

Back to the transition from the 430 forward to the 1010 which was available in a gas and 3 cylinder diesel (2010 through 3010 where 4 cylinder with 4010 and up being 6 cylinder). John Deere wanted to bring a small diesel tractor to market in 1959 but the 1010 was still a couple years from being ready. So the 435 was born when they bought two cylinder two stroke (like a chain saw) GM or Detroit diesel 2-53 motors and mated them to a 430 transmission and rear end, having to come up with a specific wide front end to mount to the GM motor (as the motor in the Dubuque tractors are the structure, there is no frame). And they used the 440 Industrial hood as it was wider to accommodate the diesel engine with that supercharger on the side (blows air into the pistons through those 2 cycle cylinder ports).

So as you perhaps gathered, starting with the M and continuing through the 40, 420, and to include the 320, JD painted some tractors yellow and offered a few other features such as special hitches and labeled them "Industrial". When they went to the 430 series, they came out with the 440 Industrial which featured a larger front hydraulic pump, wider hood, much heavier grill, heavier front axcel and options with an Industrial loader, backhoe, a crawler version with loader like this one the OP has and a dozer blade including a 6 way blade like @Just Gina and I have We also have 6 435 tractors.

Production of the 435 only lasted about a year and a half in the US. Roughly one per dealer at the time were produced. My dad bought the local one before I was born... that engine is perhaps the most unique sounding of any farm tractor.

My mother was a stary eyed teenager working as a clerk in the local grocery store when my then 19 or 20 year old father to be would drive that tractor through town. She told a story about how her heart would fluter when she heard that tractor driving past. She described it as "such a cheerful sounding tractor". And she would run to see my dad driving by in his mostly white T shirt

Grandpa actually bought a gas rubber tire 440 loader when we were kids and put a pallet fork on it to load logs in the woods. He was a lumberjack at heart but a farmer by trade. Probably a better lumberjack..... I owned that tractor for a while but foolishly sold it to neighbor years ago.... My brother owns the 435 along with a couple others and a 440 diesel on tires with loader and backhoe. I'm not sure when they discontinued the 440 but it may have survived a year or so longer in the all yellow version than the green 430 and 435. So the OP is correct in 1959, 1960, or possibly 1961.

John Deere did move the tooling for the 435 to Argentina where it continued in production for a few more years as a 445 farm tractor and was also available down there in a narrow front "tricycle" version. Much desired by a handful of people in the US to run in Tractor Pulls... and by me and my brother So anyone from Argentina reading this, PM me of you know where I can buy a couple good John Deere 445 tractors with narrow fronts and we will conspire to have them shipped up here!

 

[flatwater bill]

Dang, @ActionBob you certainly know your tractors......I have a 1929 John Deere Mod D with a 350 cu in twin popper in it......but never knew JD made a two stroke.......a corn popper motor. ........FW Bill

 

[ActionBob]

Dang, @ActionBob you certainly know your tractors......I have a 1929 John Deere Mod D with a 350 cu in twin popper in it......but never knew JD made a two stroke.......a corn popper motor. ........FW Bill

Hey Bill, @Just Gina wanted a GP. We were watching one on an auction. A 1934. It was sold choice with a '29 D. Got the winning bid and took the GP and then bought the D also for about $500 less... I'm more a fan of the late 1950's Johnny Poppers, but Gina likes to look at those older ones... of course I get to start them for her

 

[flatwater bill]

@ActionBob I'm with Gina on this one.....the old iron wheelers are the classics. Had a 47 Mod D and a 34 Mod D also, but now down to just the 1929.......Bill

 

[Tokoloshe Safaris]

Oh I wish it was here in Zim. If My wife was not hunting or doing the 100 things necessary for a hunt she would be on that doing roads or enlarging pans.

Lon

 

[Torqued]

What mechanical issues does it have? Is there a bucket with it?

 

[CraigV]

What mechanical issues does it have? Is there a bucket with it?

Hi Torqued,

It's 60+ years old, so... It's got some hydraulic leaks, may be the fittings, or the packing in the cylinders, not too hard to repair. The brakes need adjusting, and it probably could use a tune up. It was being used till I grabbed her last year. No bucket, but I know they are out there.

I ended up with the next generation with a diesel motor, so have decided to put my energy and time into that one.

Thanks for asking.

 

[CraigV]

Oh I wish it was here in Zim. If My wife was not hunting or doing the 100 things necessary for a hunt she would be on that doing roads or enlarging pans.

Lon

Lon,

Yeah, you and Spike both want it on the continent! I looked into a big cardboard box, no joy. Any chance you can build a raft???